Spring 2026 Series Lineup
The Creative Professionals Lecture Series invites a broad range of interdisciplinary practitioners including artists, designers, curators, educators and historians to engage with the campus and local communities. The Watkins College of Art is committed to inviting diverse and innovative voices that propel the transformative power of art and design forward. In addition to public lectures, students benefit from personal engagement with speakers through class visits and studio critiques.
This lecture series is FREE and open to the public.
Feb 02 | Blacktastic: The Legend of XPayne
This event will be held in the Leu Center for the Visual Arts (Room 120) beginning at 5:00 PM.
Artist and Illustrator XPayne shares highlights from his career. He will share on encounters with his childhood Pop idols as well as his creative pivot toward Afrofuturism, fantasy, and mythology. These highlights will underscore the concepts and motivations behind his work–including painting, digital illustration, animation, billboard, branding, and more.
This event is moderated by Watkins College of Art Professor of Illustration Dan Brawner.
Feb 23 | Buckle Up: Logan Zawacki’s Journey from Darkrooms to Dark Rides
This event will be held in the Leu Center for the Visual Arts (Room 120) beginning at 5:00 PM.
What happens when all your career plans completely fall apart? In this lecture, Logan Zawacki shares how multiple career setbacks eventually lead him to his dream job in the themed entertainment industry, and how his diverse education and work experiences prepared him to succeed as a project manager.
This event is moderated by Watkins College of Art Dean James Pierce.
Mar 16 | Place and the Politics of Presence
This event will be held in the Leu Center for the Visual Arts (Room 120) beginning at 5:00 PM.
In this lecture, Raheleh Filsoofi examines how her creative process emerges through the interplay of place, material, and movement, drawing on clay, sound, performance, and her ongoing Dust Poems project. She reflects on how collected soils, embodied labor, and practices of itinerancy shape a body of work grounded in presence and political awareness, where borders are understood both physically and historically. Sharing insights from her collaborations with diasporic communities, Filsoofi considers what it means to remain accountable to land, history, and the act of showing up, offering a layered look at the conceptual and material frameworks that guide her artistic practice.
This event is moderated by Watkins College of Art Faculty Fellow LaKesha Lee.
Mar 30 | The Creative Career Path with Lasso Studio – Alumni Edition!
This event will be held in the Leu Center for the Visual Arts (Room 120) beginning at 5:00 PM.
Lindsey and Allen Laseter will share their journeys, starting from design & film students at WCAD to navigating their independent careers over a decade, including surprising career shifts and pivots before unexpectedly starting a creative studio together. They'll share lessons learned along the way and the values that guide them today.
This event is moderated by Belmont University Assistant Director for Career & Professional Development Rachel Walden.
The Creative Professionals Lecture Series is presented by the Watkins College of Art at Belmont University and made possible through grant funding provided by the Tennessee Arts Commission.
